RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND standards of the rural people, by deploying an PANCHAYAT RAJ DEPARTMENT efficient delivery mechanism to provide adequate quality services and essential POLICY NOTE 2011-2012 minimum needs. 1. INTRODUCTION The primary objective of the Government is the provision of basic infrastructure facilities “The best, quickest and most efficient and social services in the rural areas and way is to build up from the bottom. Every assistance to the individual families and Self village has to become a self-sufficient republic. Help Groups, living below the poverty line. This does not require brave resolutions. It Elimination of poverty and delivery of high requires brave, corporate, intelligent work” quality services are the basic premises upon which the planning of Rural Development is -Mahatma Gandhi based and concerted efforts of this Government have improved the living standards and set the Tamil Nadu being a welfare State, the benchmark for the quality of rural lives. purposeful endeavours of the Government are aimed at the Social, Economic and Political So far, Rural Development planning to upliftment of the people in the rural areas. accomplish the above objectives, was done at Rural Development aims at improving the rural the Panchayat level, which are the basic lives with the participation of the rural masses. structural units of development process. But, The concept of Rural Development targets the rural people consider that the planning process Social and Economic development of the rural should be done at the habitation level for areas. Rural Development in Tamil Nadu is fulfilling all their basic needs. To fulfill the concerned with the Economic Growth, Social people’s expectation, this Government is Justice and Improvement in the living committed to take up the Planning and 1 2 Implementation of the rural development income rural masses. For the first time in the schemes at the level of habitation. Out of country, this Government proposes to 12,620 Village Panchayats in the State, 96 introduce a free housing scheme to provide Village Panchayats are merged with the houses of 300 sq.ft. each to the eligible rural Municipalities / Corporations. As such there are masses and these free dwelling units shall 12,524 Village Panchayats in the State, with improve the welfare and livelihoods of the 79,394 habitations and only a micro level people living in the rural areas. Cost effective, planning at habitation level shall pave the way fast track technologies and Green for reducing the rural-urban divide. Further, technologies like Solar Home Lighting Systems the rate of increase in the percentage of will be used in the construction of the houses. urbanization of rural Tamil Nadu over the past decade indicates a blatant migration of people Reduction of Poverty has been of to the urban and semi - urban areas and this paramount concern in the independent India. can be checked only if the amenities available Basic human needs such as water, food, in urban areas are provided in the rural areas. clothing, shelter, health care and education This Government proposes to introduce a new have not been available at socially acceptable scheme where the planning will be taken to the levels. Affordability of the rural poor was the habitation level and the requirements of the prime question, which has to be supplemented habitations shall be addressed on felt-need by the Government to ensure the basic basis. This will be a paradigm shift in rural minimum needs. Though the Government, both planning and implementation. The new scheme Centre and State, introduced various schemes will be called as Tamil Nadu Village Habitation to reduce the poverty levels, Mahatma Gandhi Improvement Scheme (THAI) National Rural Employment Guarantee Act was enacted as a law in the Parliament in 2005 to Affordable housing has been a critical guarantee a minimum of 100 days manual issue of great challenge for the homeless, low- 3 4 labour to the rural people which has played a the Panchayats to play a dynamic role in the pivotal role in addressing the rural poverty. decision-making process. This Government enjoys the distinction of Energy is the key input to drive and drafting and legislating the Tamil Nadu improve the life cycle. The consumption of Panchayats Act, 1994 and setting ‘local energy is directly proportional to the progress governance’ in Tamil Nadu in motion. The of mankind. However, with ever-growing Panchayats were devolved with greater powers population, improvement in the living and responsibilities to combine Social Justice standards and industrialization, the global with effective Local Governance. The demand for the energy has raised manifold in Government paved the way for the political the recent years which has driven us to seek empowerment of the local bodies as self- for alternate energy sources and naturally, the administering viable democratic units and is only effective response is to go in for natural, committed to accelerate, widen and deepen the clean and renewable energy which can be process of empowerment so that these derived from a source that is replaced rapidly 'institutions of self government' evolve into by natural process but is not subject to 'principal authorities' for planning and depletion. As a measure to reduce the power implementation. As the tenure of the elected consumption and also the maintenance cost, local bodies will be over in October 24, 2011, this Government proposes to initiate and install this Government shall conduct the elections to solar powered street lights to replace the the rural and urban local bodies and safeguard existing electricity-powered illumination and the principles of local self-governance. This solar powered home lighting systems in the Government shall also constitute a High Level Green Houses. Committee for devolution of increased powers and functions to the local bodies and empower 5 6 Sanitation is the hygienic means of Hence, it will be of utmost priority of this promoting health through prevention of human Government to provide the schools with contact with hazards of waste. According to adequate infrastructure to facilitate better the World Health Organization, the term academic environment for the bright future of sanitation generally refers to the provision of the young children. facilities and services for the safe disposal of human urine and faeces. Inadequate sanitation This Government realises and is a major cause of disease and improving appreciates the significance of Information sanitation shall have significant beneficial Technology in the modern world, the need for impact on the health, both in household and greater exposure to the wide variety of areas of across community. Sanitation also refers to Information Technology and the importance of maintenance of hygienic conditions through computers for a speedy and qualitative service mechanism for collection of garbage transaction within the Government and disposal of wastewater. This Government departments and with other agencies. Hence, is committed to provide adequate access to this Government will confirm the availability of safe drinking water sources and sanitation computers at all levels, both in rural local services, individual and public sanitation bodies and department offices, with facilities. All the integrated sanitary complexes connectivity through Internet. for women, which have been driven to the Contrary to the claims made by different state of disuse, will be repaired and put to use. sectors, it was this Government, which formed Education is the most fundamental the Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of building block for human development and Women Ltd., (TNCDW) with the object of poverty reduction and schools are the edifices overall development of women including where the children undergo the formative effect education, upgradation of skills etc., to improve on their mind, character and physical ability. the quality of life of women. This Government 7 8 strived hard to ensure the gender equality international funding agencies such as Asian within the frame work of a democratic polity. Development Bank, World Bank etc., to secure The TNCDW has today evolved into a massive adequate financial resources for the permanent movement and has substantially empowered resettlement of not only the Tsunami victims the women folk, especially in rural areas. but also the people living in the coastal areas. These schemes shall be successfully completed This Government launched ‘Pudhu during 2011-2012. vazhvu’ project in November 2005, which was designed as a community driven development The Department of Rural Development project, with main focus on the most vulnerable and Panchayat Raj is responsible for the layer of society i.e., poorest of poor. This implementation of various rural welfare Government is committed to expand the schemes and also assists Panchayat Raj project to other areas as well and secured Institutions to discharge their duties and additional financing. functions as effective Local Self Government entities. This Government is committed to When an unprecedented Tsunami wave provide all the basic amenities in the rural abruptly hit the coastal stretches of Tamil Nadu areas at the level of habitation, promote th on 26 December 2004 and caused extensive sanitation, reduce poverty, conserve the havoc, wreaking heavy toll on the lives and natural resources and reduce the urban-rural incalculable damage to the properties, this divide and ensure a prosperous rural Government rose up to the occasion, mobilized Tamil Nadu. all the resources and swiftly rehabilitated and resettled the affected. The strenuous efforts taken by the Government of Tamil Nadu came in for recognition by all over the world. This Government also initiated dialogues with 9 10 2. PANCHAYAT RAJ desired candidate on the palm leaf (Panai olai) and drop it in the pot. At the end of the The history of the local self-governance process, the leaves were taken out of the pot in Tamil Nadu can be traced back to the stone and counted candidate-wise and whoever got edicts and carvings in Sri Sundaravaradhar the highest number of votes was selected as Temple of Uthiramerur in Kancheepuram the member of the village council.